


Bundle Up, it's Cold Outside

by Ancalime1



Series: Unnamed Astronaut AU [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Astronaut AU, Autistic Bruce Banner, But Mostly Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Stimming, M/M, Space AU, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, autistic thor, hope you guys like space suit cuddles <3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 03:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20001811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ancalime1/pseuds/Ancalime1
Summary: Bruce goes for one of his contemplative spacewalks, and Thor decides to join him.





	Bundle Up, it's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after the mess with the parasite, so it mostly stands on its own (with the exception of a minor allusion). Based off of [this](https://astrobruce.tumblr.com/post/186155298213/whys-thor-in-a-space-suit-oh-youll-see) and [this,](https://astrobruce.tumblr.com/post/185363541798/a-spontaneous-collab-i-did-with-eliza-the-cat) because who doesn't love some comfy space suit snuggles?
> 
> Thanks to @asgardianbrucebanner and @mutantbanner for betaing <3

He was drifting outside of Asgard as he had done so many times, away from the hustle and bustle of the alien world, out in the quiet reaches of space.

Relaxation lapped at his skin like water, and he sank into the comfort of his suit, the gentle pull of his tether like that of an anchor at sea. He remembered the sheer terror of climbing out of the airlock for the very first time, feeling as if one wayward strand would cause his tether to snap, sending him spiraling off into the void. Now, he couldn’t imagine a time he’d felt safer. Somehow he felt both blissfully weightless and wonderfully secure all at once, floating in a bubble amongst the stars, hugged by the comforting cocoon of his suit.

A figure hurtled toward him, stopping just inches from his drifting body and giving his helmet a polite tap. “Jesus _Christ_ ,” blurted Bruce, his gloved hand clutching where his heart was. Thor. What the hell was he doing out here?

 _“Helloooooo,”_ mouthed an excited Thor, whose charmingly scruffy appearance resembled that of a floating puppy dog. He jabbed a finger at Bruce, then made a little walking gesture with his hand, and pointed at himself. _“You left without me.”_

Bruce gave him a quizzical look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said aloud, knowing full well that Thor couldn’t hear him. He gestured to the airlock, a giant circular hatch that sat not five feet from where they drifted. “Why don’t we talk in there?”

His proposal was met with a pouty lip and an immediate sigh of what Bruce assumed was concession. A small smile tugged at his own lips, and he led the way back towards the station and activated the airlock. 

The hatch sealed behind them, and the chamber was immediately filled with the hissing of pressure. Thor winced at the sound, and darted backwards like an alarmed fish. One look at Bruce’s amused face sent him upright, a cloud of red coloring his cheeks.

As soon as the chamber pressure had stabilized, Bruce twisted off his helmet, letting it drift in the air beside him. “You’re cute,” he said, a bashful grin flickering across his lips. “You know I can’t hear you out in space, right?”

“Which is why I wanted you to read my lips,” replied Thor, floating indignantly beside the hatch. “Because in space, no one can hear you flirt.” 

Bruce smacked a hand against his head. “ _Alien_ ,” he sighed, mouth twitching. “How the _hell_ did you even know about that movie?”

Thor waggled his eyebrows. “I have my ways.”

Bruce grinned. “Stark, probably,” he said, twisting one of his gloves off. “Or maybe you’re more of a Midgardian connoisseur than I pegged you for.”

“Wait,” said Thor, wrapping a hand around Bruce’s. “Don’t—don’t take your suit off just yet.”

“Why?”

Thor opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he hadn’t properly thought this through yet. “Be… cause,” he said, fumbling his hands through his hair. He cleared his throat and gave Bruce a crooked smile. “I dunno. I thought maybe we could go out for a bit.”

Bruce’s cheeks flushed at the thought, and he immediately hid his face in his hands. “What? We just got inside,” he squeaked, voice muffled behind two space gloves. 

“See, you _say_ that, but the tone of your voice suggests to me that you actually want to,” said Thor, grin becoming even wider and toothier. 

“Oh shut _up_ ,” grunted Bruce, batting the pesky god away. “Okay, yeah. I’d like to. But _as we established_ , I can’t hear you out there, and you can’t hear me. How are we supposed to communicate?”

Thor’s eyes sparkled, causing a strange delighted feeling to swell inside Bruce’s chest. He immediately clenched his jaw, trying to maintain his composure while the god glided over to him, halting just before his face.

“We communicate,” he said, tapping Bruce’s suit, “with this.”

Bruce blinked at him, then dug his fists into his eyes. “I don’t follow.”

Thor was beaming at him, eyes sparkling so brightly that Bruce could swear he saw little ribbons of electricity crackling within their depths. “Oh come on, I thought you were one of Midgard’s brightest minds,” he teased. “We communicate with your space suits. Since they have… microphones and soundwaves and all that. And so you don’t die from oxygen deprivation, of course.”

Bruce opened and closed his mouth several times, like the vacant gape of a goldfish floating motionlessly in water. The image of Thor clad in a big puffy space suit came unbidden to his mind, and his face immediately flushed with heat. “No, we can’t—we can’t do that,” he said, shaking his head as if to shoo the thought away. “We—we don’t have enough suits. I mean, we do, but you’re a _big_ guy, Thor, I don’t think any of ours would fit—”

“Not to worry,” cut in Thor, still beaming. He gave Bruce a pat on the shoulder, unintentionally causing the smaller man to slowly spiral away towards the airlock hatch, then gently rebound back towards Thor. “Your commander actually suggested this to me, since you love being up here so much. Apparently there was one ‘Steve Rogers’ who was meant to fill in with one of your crew members, should anything have happened to them. His suit is in one of the lockers—apparently we’re about the same size.”

Bruce, unable to control his momentum (and still an uncomfortable beet-red), had slowly drifted back into Thor’s space. Before he could crash into him however, Thor reached out and pulled Bruce close to him, so close that all that stood between them was Bruce’s suit. 

“Whaddaya say,” said Thor in a low voice, grinning that roguish grin of his. “You and me on a nice little spacewalk outside Asgard? Now _that’s_ romantic.”

A surge of heat swelled within Bruce’s chest as Thor held him, lips impossibly close to his own. It would have been so easy to kiss him then, if not for the anxiety squirming in his gut. He sucked in a breath and dismissed the thought. “Alright,” he grunted, batting his eyes downwards and taking Thor’s hand. “You win. Let’s get you a suit.”

Thor whooped and punched the air, and Bruce felt his face split into a grin in spite of himself. Together they glided toward the chamber entrance, and through to the rotating main body of the ship.

The suit was just where Commander Foster had said it would be. Bruce hadn’t really known anything about the man it had belonged to—he barely knew his present crewmembers, as it were. That was neither here nor there, he supposed. Here was Thor, strange and beautiful, who of all people on Asgard—in the _universe_ —had wanted to get to know _him._ Thor had sparked something within him he didn’t even know he had, and that was the desire to be close to someone, to be vulnerable with.

He dismissed the thought and helped Thor don the space suit, a task which was easier said than done. Their hands would brush every so often (Bruce having taken off his stubby-fingered gloves to assist Thor), and each time Bruce’s eyelids would slowly flutter downwards in embarrassment, trying to quiet the flicker of excitement in his chest. Thor noticed, to his chagrin—and every time he did this, he would chuckle in that deep, warm voice of his and cause Bruce’s cheeks to flush a violent red. _Cool it, Banner,_ he told himself as he secured the belts round Thor’s suit. _You’re taking him on a spacewalk, not the school prom_. He bit his lip and fastened on the last glove, then stepped back to try and recollect himself.

Thor was grinning. Seeing him all suited up was somewhat jarring to say in the least, and was about the bizarre and laughable equivalent of seeing a lion dressed in a puffer coat. But to say it wasn’t equal parts adorable would have been a damned lie, and Bruce couldn’t help but smile to himself as he watched Thor inspect himself, giving the suit experimental pats and pokes and marveling at how soft it felt. “It’s so cuddly!” he gasped, flapping his hands in excitement. He beamed at Bruce, then straightened up and puffed out his chest. “How do I look?”

Bruce chuckled. “Like you lost a fight to a pillow.”

“ _Excellent_.”

Bruce grinned, his face becoming impossibly warm. “Okay, funny guy. Get your helmet on, or… wait. You don’t need the ‘or you’ll die of oxygen-deprivation’ lecture. Um. Get your helmet on so I can—”

“So you can whisper sweet nothings to me while we drift out in space,” cut in Thor. He fastened on his helmet, and gave Bruce a thumbs-up. “Got it. Over.”

Bruce snorted and immediately shoved Thor towards the airlock chamber. “Get _out_ of here,” he laughed, donning his own helmet.

Once more they were drifting in the airlock. Thor was smiling at him through his visor, eyes alight with excitement and a warm fondness that made Bruce shiver. He reached out and squeezed Thor’s gloved hand, then sucked in a breath as the chamber depressurized and they were drawn out into space. 

Bruce heard Thor’s breath hitch over the comms, and his lips tugged into a smile. The sight was nothing new to either of them—Asgard was just as they had left it, magnificent golden spires towering on one side, and massive crystalline roots plummeting through black on the other. But its novelty had not been lost on Thor, who stared now with eyes that dazzled with awe and starlight.

Bruce’s cheeks flushed with warmth, and he squeezed Thor’s hand. “You seem a little starstruck for me to be sweet-talking you,” he said, laughing.

Thor gave him a soft smile, then shook his head. “I’ve seen Asgard from afar many times. Not like this, though. Not with you.” 

Bruce quirked an eyebrow. “How’s that make it any different?”

“Well, for one thing, it makes me think about how I met you,” he began, eyes flicking away from Asgard and zeroing in on Bruce’s hand. “It makes me think of how lucky I am to have you in my life. How… how I couldn’t imagine you no longer being apart of it.”

At this, something deep within Bruce twisted in agony, as if the ribs within his chest had suddenly coiled around his heart. _Oh._

Thor had almost _lost_ him. And that shouldn’t have mattered, because who the hell was Bruce to him? To anybody? His life meant nothing in those weeks when he battled the parasite inside of him, but it meant everything now. Maybe he had gone soft during his time with Thor. But there was no denying in the tell-tale tears that glistened in his eyes that Bruce meant _something_ to him—that Bruce needed him, but he needed Bruce, too. 

Bruce’s hand instinctively went to touch Thor’s cheek, but was met with visor-glass instead. “Hey,” he whispered, summoning the courage to look into the other man’s eyes. “I’m… I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.”

Thor smiled. “I know,” he said, a single tear pulling from his eye. He watched in glassy-eyed fascination as it formed into a tiny glistening orb, tumbling weightlessly before his face. “Damn,” he breathed, pressing his fingers to his visor. “I suppose that little thing is gonna stay in here with me now, huh?” 

“You should see if you can catch it with your tongue,” chuckled Bruce, a feeling of warmth glowing in his chest.

Thor scowled at him. “What? That would be ridicu—” he was interrupted as the droplet wobbled an inch from his mouth, and his tongue immediately shot out like a frog’s to catch it. It was a narrow miss however, and the droplet danced away.

“Ohh, bummer,” tssked Bruce. “Try again though, maybe you’ll get it this time.”

Thor growled, eyes zeroing in on the wayward tear. The next ten minutes were spent with him fruitlessly clamping his mouth down on air like a dog snapping at flies, Bruce laughing at him all the while. Eventually he gave up, sighing in resignation as the tear tumbled towards his face and ricocheted off his nose. “It was worth a shot,” he said, shrugging.

“Yeah,” giggled Bruce. “Good effort, Sport.”

Thor grinned, and playfully swatted him, causing Bruce to squeak and spiral helplessly away. “Oh, right,” said Thor between laughs. “Sorry, um. I’ll get you.”

He tugged on Bruce’s tether, fishing him in until he was within arm’s length. His hands went to Bruce’s waist to help steady him, and then lingered there heartbeats after, as if he had forgotten how to let go. Bruce couldn’t help but shudder—Thor’s hold on him was delightfully firm, pressing into his suit and causing his skin to prickle with pleasure. He must have given the wrong impression though because Thor immediately withdrew his hands, holding them up in apology. “Oh, uh, sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to. Uh. I kind of spaced out there.”

They were bobbing not five inches away from each other, tethers drifting beside them like tangled vines. “Oh,” said Bruce, cheeks flushing with warmth. “So, what you’re saying is, you didn’t mean to do _this_?”

His own hands went to Thor’s waist, squeezing down into the suit and rubbing in smooth, rhythmic circles. Thor’s eyes widened, then fluttered dreamily, then widened again. “Oh, I see,” he chuckled, face twitching as Bruce pressed harder, massaging the space between his hips and his ribcage. “ _Oof_ —You, Dr. Banner, are— _oof_ —playing a dangerous game.”

“I guess so,” murmured Bruce, continuing to rub Thor’s suit in deep, soothing strokes. “I mean, I’ve never cuddled anyone in space before.”

Thor cracked an eye open at him and grinned. “Mm, never?” he said. His hands traveled to Bruce’s bulky waist, then pulled him in close so that their suits were pressed firmly against each other, a wonderful cushion of pressure and softness squishing between them. “Well. I guess we ought to fix that,” he purred, gripping Bruce tight so that he wouldn’t drift away. He twined his legs around Bruce’s, and _god_ did that feel good, the pressure, the security, the feeling of Thor wrapped intimately around his body almost as if he was the suit himself. The combined pressure and texture caused him to laugh and do a little happy-wiggle, and he snuggled closer to Thor, grasping at his puffy waist and sighing happily into his shoulder. And together they drifted, holding each other in blissful security, floating in a bubble of warmth into the welcoming night. 

Bruce had no idea how long they spent like this, drifting lazily through space and delicious silence, hearing nothing but Thor’s rhythmic breathing over the comms. The urge to kiss him struck him once more, and he shuddered with excitement, his heart thundering against his rib cage. _No, you idiot,_ he thought, willing the throb in his chest to slow. _You can’t. You’re both wearing helmets. Don’t be stupid._

He cleared his throat, and Thor’s eyes fluttered open, as if he’d been asleep. “Um. I need to go back in,” he said, tracing the outlines of Thor’s suit. A pang of guilt bloomed within his chest and Thor’s peaceful face suddenly crinkled in concern, and he was determined to look anywhere but at him. “Sorry. I wish we could stay like this forever. But there’s something I want to do that I can’t do out here.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Thor, puzzled. He paused. “Wait, let me guess. Breathing! Your suit’s running low on oxygen.”

Bruce chuckled, his cheeks warming at the triumphant look in Thor’s face. “No, not quite. Here, I’ll show you.” 

He laced his fingers between Thor’s and carefully pulled them towards the hatch, his heart fluttering like a butterfly caught in a bell jar. _What am I doing, what am I doing,_ trilled the voice in his head as they maneuvered through the airlock, then back to the rotating portion of the ship. _What am I doing, what am I doing—_

He unlatched his helmet, and beckoned Thor to do the same. His heart nearly leapt into his throat as Thor twisted it off, golden-brown hair tumbling into a scraggly tuft upon his head, that crooked grin of his reappearing on his lips. _Great,_ came another voice in his head. _Now he’s_ extra _hot._

“Ah,” he said cheerily. “Well, I think that solves my tear problem—”

He was cut off by the sudden press of lips against his own, and a surprised but contented “ _oooMPH_ ” erupted from his chest. Bruce couldn’t help but smile into the kiss as Thor’s hands flew to his back and hugged him closer, the squish of their puffy suits pressed against each other sending a delighted shiver up his spine.

They broke away gasping, the space between them becoming palpable with heat. Thor’s eyes were wide, gray-blue irises crackling with both surprise and an electric hunger. He grinned, hands falling to the small of Bruce’s back, prompting an involuntary moan out of him. “So that’s what you meant when you said you needed to go back,” he said softly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Y-yeah,” said Bruce, his voice trembling, his cheeks flooding with heat. “Was. Was that good? Bad? I dunno, should we do another?”

“Yes,” breathed Thor, his mouth twitching into a fond smile, hands massaging the base of Bruce’s back and causing him to quake with excitement. “Another.”

There was barely time for him to smile before Thor pulled him back into another kiss, lips pressing firmly but tenderly against his own, the scruff of his beard tickling Bruce’s chin. Bruce sighed into the kiss and felt himself melt into Thor’s arms, their suits brushing together with wondrously comfortable friction. He felt Thor gently swaying against him, like the pull of the moon over the ocean tide, or the stellar winds sweeping plumes of stardust across space. Gently they pulled away from each other, breathing into that small space between them, losing themselves in the glimmer of each other’s eyes. But it wasn’t long before Bruce found himself falling back into Thor’s orbit, settling into the crook of his shoulder, burrowing into his suit as if it were a pillow. 

A dreamy sigh escaped his lips, and his eyelids fluttered closed. “I’m glad we did this,” he murmured, snuggling into the comfort of Thor’s suit. “I’m… I’m really glad you came, Thor.” 

“Me too,” whispered Thor, his breath warm and soft on his ear, the kiss of a cosmic breeze on his skin. He nuzzled Bruce’s head, then pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I love you, Bruce. I love you so much.”

Bruce smiled, a single tear welling up in the corner of his eye as he cuddled even closer, till there was no space left between them. 

“I love you too, Thor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! If you please, leave a kudos or comment. It makes my entire day and keeps me writing <3
> 
> EDIT: Yeeeah, I KNOW most suit models are actually super uncomfortable. Let’s just say Stark designed these and they’re basically like being inside inflatable pillows, but with life support functions! As space suits should be.


End file.
